Reflections
by Misbegotten Misfit
Summary: Alternate Ending for The Last Guardian (TLG). After dying Artemis steals Opal's remaining black magic and sends his soul back in time.
1. TLG Alternate End: Second Chances

**auth0r's n0te: i am n0t sure ab0ut y0u, but i did n0t really like h0w TLG ended. s0, i have finally decided t0 write my 0wn alternate ending t0 the last b00k. i may c0ntinue this as an actual st0ry at s0me p0int 0r i may just let it al0ne. f0r n0w it is c0mplete. let me kn0w what y0u think 0f it.**

* * *

Death. It was a strange feeling. It was nothing like what you would see in the movies, but he had already known it would not be. He knew what occurred in the body and brain when a person died. Even so, knowing and experiencing were two very different things and no amount of knowledge could have prepared him for what he was going through now.

He had fallen, collapsed on the ground as his heart beat sporadically. This hardly mattered though. His attention was far away from the physical world by that time. As he collapsed his brain was lit up with an overwhelming amount of activity. It was a chaotic burst of memories overlaying the horrendous pain his heart was in and the terrible burning as the energy in his brain raced around his synapses. His childhood, the loss of his father, his mother in a steep downward spiral, the sprite he had tricked into letting him see The Book, Holly in a cell after he had kidnapped her, escaping the bio bomb, the train in the arctic and restoring Holly's magic after, saving his father, the C Cube incident, having his memories erased and later gaining them back on yet another venture, defeating Opal for a second time, Minerva, N°1, bringing Hybras back from Limbo, stealing magic, his mother ill from what he believed his own magic, returning to the past to find a way to save her, tricking the younger Opal, The probe in Iceland, falling deeper and deeper into the Atlantis Complex, All his therapy sessions after which he had soon felt were unnecessary including the last one just this morning. This morning… So much had happened since this morning that it felt as though it had been ages ago that the day started. Those memories replayed themselves as well, all of this tearing through his mind in a blaze that felt hotter than the surface of the sun in mere seconds that seemed to Artemis to have been decades.

And then it was cold. And dark.

His thoughts were beginning to come through again and he focused on trying to force his eyes open. Surprizingly this worked. His vision was blurry at first but soon the world came back into focus around him. There were animals and corpses scattered around, the former vessels the Berserkers has inhabited. His brothers and Juliet lay unconscious on the ground. He saw Holly and Butler standing there with shocked and sorrowful looks on their faces. Holly was kneeling on the ground hugging somebody close and sobbing into their shoulder.

 _'Oh…'_ was all Artemis could think as he caught a glimpse of the person's face. It was his own.

A chill washed over him then, like the biting cold that stings the skin while walking in a blizzard. Something in him felt heavy and he observed his friends, unseen by them. They seemed so miserable. It took all of his will to tear his gaze away from the somber sight. He let his eyes rest on the manor. Humanity had suffered a terrible blow today but had narrowly escaped an even worse one… but for how long? Artemis knew the ramifications of the Techno-Crash. The human world was filled with things that needed power to function and would be yield catastrophic results if that power was cut. In only a month it was likely that the world's nuclear reactors would go into meltdown as the water that had been cooling them evaporated. Eventually the gas and chemical factories would end up spreading their poisons. It would kill so many people and make large areas unlivable. If it was bad enough it might even reach the People… How much loss had they suffered already from this day's events? And all for what?

It was not right. None of this was right. None of this ever should have been allowed to happen.

He could make this right. There had to be some way to make this right.

Artemis scanned the area with his eyes, his mind running through scenarios and possible solutions at a million miles a minute trying to formulate some kind of plan. He did not yet stop to even have a look at himself, his demise not quite registering in his mind yet. He was a soul, free from his body and still, for the moment, tethered to the physical world. Had this wormed its way into his thoughts he might have found it curious and wondered if the delay in his spirit moving on was due to his being human, similar to how there had been a delay as spell cast from the gate searched for the fairy part of him before he had been killed by it.

None of this was currently occupying his thoughts. It would in due time when the realization of his death finally sunk in, but for now he continued his search as though he were still very much alive. His eyes eventually fell on the dead body of Opal Koboi, the dark magic it still held burning away at her flesh and revealing more at more of her skeleton by the minute. It was potent, the air around it shimmering from the smoldering heat of the magical energy. It was dangerous, but it was something he could use, seemingly the only thing he could use.

As he had in life Artemis willed his body, if a spectral form could be called that, forward towards Opal's corpse. He had stolen magic before, but that had been in the time stream. His body had been immaterial and he was able to integrate it into himself. He was immaterial now too. Hopefully he could take the energy into his ghostly body in a similar manner.

The raven haired teen knelt next to the corpses and extended a translucent hand towards it. The black magic reacted immediately, sparks going off and small bolts arcing across what was left of Opal before jumping at him. For a moment it reminded him of a snake attacking, intent to bite and infect the body with its toxic venom. It was a perfect comparison considering the nature of the power. Even so, as that bolt struck and was absorbed into him there was no turning back. The white hot searing flame of the magic met with the frigid cold of his spectral body sending the teen reeling in agony, despite his lack of a nervous system. How could he feel pain without pain sensors? I suppose that is like asking how he can think without a brain. The mechanisms by which ghosts functioned were truly an enigma.

Regardless of what he should or should not be able to feel or do, the agonizing pain continued. It was scorching like fire but burned more like acid and left him feeling exhausted and chilled to the non-existent bones. Even though he had no lungs he was panting as the spots the pain had caused cleared from his vision. Artemis tried to force his mind to focus on the task at hand through the residual throbbing. He needed to recall the spell that N°1 had cast to send Holly and him back in time. Thankfully, that flash of memories from earlier had brought the event to the forefront of his mind along with the rest of his life and he was easily able to pick it out and examine the little demon's actions.

For a moment he glanced back at Holly. She was still there sobbing into his corpse with Butler next to her trying to comfort the distraught Elf. The sight solidified his determination and he concentrated on the magic he had just stolen. It bubbled up inside his being painfully, burning once more. Sparks began to fall from his hands and spread up his arms and across his body. They danced in his vision almost mockingly, daring him to try to use them.

He began to cast the time travel spell, getting it as similar as he could to the once his warlock friend had not so long ago.

Then it was cold. And dark.

* * *

Artemis woke with a start, sitting bolt upright. Somebody was screaming…

It took him a moment to realize that the person screaming was actually him. He bullied his panicking mind to calm down and stop. Soon enough the noise died away, leaving him sitting there panting and covered in cold sweat.

 _'Assess the situation…'_ he commanded himself. He swept his gaze across the area slowly. He was inside a building in a room with the door closed. The lights were off and the curtains were closed but a dim light was beginning to try to force its way through the thin sheets of cloth. _'The sun must be coming up…'_ he reasoned. He paid more attention to the objects in the room. They were things he knew, things he recognized. _'…because they are mine…'_ his mind said, and it was right. The objects in this room belonged to him, as did the room itself. He was sitting on something soft with another soft object draped over him. it was his bed and comforter. _'I was asleep…? Was all of it nothing more than a bad dream…?'_ Artemis wondered, reaching to get his phone from the nightstand. He opened his digital calendar and looked at his schedule for the day. As expected it told him that he was to be awake in ten minutes to get prepared and journey to Haven for his final session with Doctor Argon. The genius teen huffed and thought, _'Well then. I-'_

Before he could finish that thought a flood of images crashed into his mind, memories of the day before, or rather the day that had yet to happen. His death, the black magic, traveling back in time to prevent it, everything came over him in a vast wave, leaving a horrid chill in its wake. He saw a few sparks dance across his vision and looked on solemnly. It had happened. He had died. And now he had come back and his soul seems to have merged into his younger self's. It had been like hitting a reset button on the day. A do over, if you will. And he could see two possible outcomes to it. The first was that things would play out as they had before and he would be unable to change the course that the events took regardless of his efforts which would result in his death once again. The other possibility was what he was hoping for, that with his knowledge of what was to happen he would be able to take measures to stop it before it occurred. Really, there was only one thing he needed to do to make that happen.

For now though Artemis could relax. He fell back on his pillow and stared at the ceiling, breathing heavily, letting it all sink in. there was once thought forcing its way into his mind and getting louder and louder by the second, _'I died.'_

Finally, the realization of his own demise was sinking in, taking hold of his thoughts. It was startling. He had died. He had actually died. His entire life had flashed before his eyes and he had DIED. His body began to tremble and shake. Artemis rolled onto his side and curled up into a ball, the memory of the burning pain and ghastly chill taking over any logical thought and driving him to tears. The raven haired youth sobbed into his comforter for what felt like hours.

In reality it was only a few minutes. He jumped when the alarm on his phone went off, staring at the source of shrill sound with wide terrified eyes for a moment before his ability to reason returned to him and he calmed down again. He ceased the ringing on his phone and pulled himself out of bed to get ready for his day, pushing the traumatic memories aside for now. It was something he had always been good at, forcing away his pain and problems to get done what needed to be done.

With his goal in mind Artemis went through the routine he had the last time; showering, getting dressed in one of his nicer suits, placing the diagram he had drawn for Argon's brace in his pocket, stopping in the dining room for breakfast and finally standing with Butler in the foyer waiting for Holly to arrive to take them to Haven. As Artemis stood there next to the man mountain watching out the window for the ship he spoke without looking taking his gaze from the yard.

"Butler." The teen began, "I will need you to remain here today."

The large man shook his head and told his charge, "No can do, Artemis. I'm your bodyguard. It's my job to be by your side and protect you from harm."

The young genius sighed inwardly. He had figured that would be the answer he would receive; still he was not giving up yet. He looked up at the man with a grave and determined expression on his face and tried again, " **Please**. I **need** you to stay here today."

This time Butler paused before answering. There was something in his employer's voice and the look in those mismatched eyes that told him how important this was to Artemis. Of course, with no foresight into what was to happen today he could not know exactly why this request was so vital, but he certainly _felt_ it. For one, Artemis has actually said please, something the boy rarely said. It conveyed something about the gravity of the request, making it less a request and more a plea. Butler sighed, hoping he would not regret giving into this and reassuring himself that if something happened Holly would be there and would keep him safe.

The bodyguard nodded once, "Alright, Artemis. I'll stay here at the manor this time. Don't give Holly any trouble and call me is anything happens."

Artemis's eyes widen for a moment in surprise and he turned his gaze back out to the yard. He could feel a wave of relief wash over him. He nodded almost imperceptibly and whispered, "Thank you, old friend… You have no idea how much this means…"

After Holly arrived Artemis boarded the ship and the two were en route to Haven. Holly asked why Butler had not accompanied them but Artemis shrugged it off in his usual arrogant manner. Though she was still curious and more than a little suspicious the elf held her tongue and watched her friend closely until they arrived at the clinic. From there Holly went to see Nopal while Artemis waited in a room for the doctor to arrive. This time he sat patiently by the water wall and allowed himself to meditate on the events to come. He was in no rush, knowing exactly when Argon would arrive. Besides, he needed a moment to help keep down those memories and feeling he had suppressed this morning. He was so close. It was no time to be breaking down now.

When the gnome hobbled into the room Artemis was in the exact place he had been the last time this had happened. He played the memories over in his mind as he relived them. They played out just as they had before and soon he was deemed functional and standing next to Holly showing her what he had taught Nopal on his previous visits. Just as before she received the call from Foaly about Opal the younger right on time and the two were on their way via the Stick to Police Plaza.

On their way into the building Artemis allowed Holly to get a few feet in front of him. He withdrew his cellphone from a jacket pocket and dialed Butler. It only rang once before the bodyguard answered and demanded to know what was wrong, having instructed his charge to call if something happened.

"The new security system has detected fairies on the property. It is imperative that you incapacitate them, but do not use lethal force." The Fowl heir instructed and proceeded to give Butler the location of the pint sized trespassers. The part about the security system had been a lie, though he planned to implement measures to detect fairies on or under the manor grounds if this plan was successful and they all survived. As it were he was giving their location based on memory, but he could not exactly explain that he had lived through this day before. Even with all they had been through already that may seem a little far-fetched.

Putting his phone away, Artemis followed Holly into the room where Foaly and Trouble were watching Pip and Kip on the monitor. Opal the younger was there in between them as she had been before, a hostage. Artemis fixed his gaze on the monitor, examining the cracked wall of his home behind the fairies. It was the same wall at Fowl Manor that looked like a map of Croatia. Holly, Trouble and Foaly were talking, but the human teen was not paying them any mind this time. Instead, he was completely focused on the screen, the sounds of the other beings in the room drowned out by the sound of his heart beating in his ears.

 _Ba boom._

Once. He waited.

 _Ba boom._

Twice. He watched, breath catching in his throat.

 _Ba boom._

On the third heartbeat there were two faint glints on the screen. Then the gnomes dropped to the ground before they ever drew their weapons. Artemis released a breath he had not realized he had been holding. Slowly, the panicked sounds around the room came back into focus, invading his ears. The officers were confused about what had just happened. Trouble Kelp growled and demanded, "What happened up there?!"

"Butler…" Artemis breathed out, knowing full well that his bodyguard had hit the two gnomes with tranquilizer darts. Foaly, Holly and Trouble looked over at the human who was still staring at the screen as though some type of miracle had just occurred. They had somehow heard him over the chaos in the room. Holly made her way over to him. When she got to her friend she immediately noticed the tears cascading from his eyes down his cheeks as he watched the monitor. The Elf reached a concerned hand out to place on his arm. When she did though she gasped, a few sparks jumping from Artemis to her. For a moment memories flashed through her mind, his memories. What she saw, all of the things that had now never happened, left her breathing heavily. Holly stared up at Artemis with wide mismatched eyes who slowly turned to look back at her. Tears were beginning to well up and drip down her cheeks as well and the two simply gazed deep into the eyes of the other, a mirror endlessly reflected back upon itself.


	2. Alternate Prologue: Ramifications

**AN: i alm0st f0rg0t a pr0l0gue t0 the alternate ending. i figured i w0uld write a sh0rt 0ne t0 give an idea 0f what happened after and the ramificati0ns 0f artemis stealing 0pal's black magic and g0ing back in time t0 change the future. 0f c0urse he is n0t g0ing t0 get 0ut 0f it sc0t-free. even if it was f0r the right reas0ns there is still a price t0 pay, still c0nsequences f0r the acti0ns. if anyb0dy is interested in seeing this further expl0red i might actually write the st0ry because there is al0t g0ing 0n with artemis n0w that c0uld take up an0ther twenty 0r s0 chapters.**

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The sound of screaming woke Angeline and Artemis Senior from their previously restful slumber. The two sat up in their bed and looked at the digital clock on the night stand. Midnight. The elder Artemis looked to his wife who was already getting out of bed and the two exchanged sorrowful tired looks. The brunette woman nodded slowly and told her husband, "I'll handle it this time. Try to get some more sleep."

This had been going on for a week now. The two had arrived home from London the day after Artemis's last session with Argon when Opal had failed in her insane plan to escape prison and take over the world. The LEP had sent a retrieval team to Fowl Manor as soon as possible which had also served to bring the family's eldest son back from Haven City. Opal the younger and he unconscious gnome captors had been taken into custody and put away for their crimes, information which the two human parents had been told nothing about by anybody involved. This time it had been a simple arrest and not some grand adventure so nobody had felt the need to say anything. That was, until that evening.

The evening that Angeline and Artemis Senior had arrived home they had been rudely awoken by the sound of somebody in the house screaming and crying. Security showed no intruders so the immediate thought had turned to the twins as it was common for young children to experience night terrors. They had been shocked and mildly confused to find that it had in fact been their oldest son thrashing about in his bed shrieking as though he were being killed.

It had been the same thing every night since. Now a week later Angeline was walking down the corridor to her son's room yet again to try to comfort him through what ever it was that was plaguing his sleeping mind. She pushed the door open gently and made her way over to her child's bed where he was sitting up and clutching his hair tightly, letting out agonized screams one might expect from a person being burned alive. She sat on the edge of the bed next to him and carefully enfolded her teenage son into a warm gentle embrace, rubbing his back in circles with the tips of her fingers and whispering "It'll be ok. Everything will be alright" to try to calm him down. The raven haired youth was shaking and soon the pained screams gave way to heartbreaking sobs. He buried his face in his mother's shoulder, holding on to her for dear life and cried.

This lasted for only a few minutes that felt like ages. Then the trembling and crying lessened until it stopped completely and his breathing returned to a slower more normal rate. Angeline carefully lay her son back down on his pillow, standing and pulling the comforter over him. He shifted slightly, laying on his side and curling up just a little, but was otherwise calm and sound asleep. She gave him a sad smile and reached down to brush a stray strand of his hair aside before returning to her own room to try to get some more rest.

The night terrors were only the beginning of the issues her son seemed to now be facing. During the day Angeline had noticed Artemis off in a corner by himself sobbing or suddenly breaking down into tears from seemingly out of nowhere. Sometimes he walked around the house or the manor grounds aimlessly staring at people or objects with a hollow gaze and seeming as though the life had been drained out of him, a ghost of himself. Other times she caught him carrying on arguments and taunting somebody and a female voice that seemed familiar arguing back, but found only her son when she entered the room. Still other times he seemed fine in all respects aside from an air of gloom that seemed to constantly hang over his head, making it seem as though somebody had died. Angeline was more than worried, as was her husband who had noticed as well. They still needed to talk it over, but she was beginning to think it might be best to start Artemis's sessions with Argon again.


	3. Chapter 1: Familiar

**AN: s0, due t0 all the p0sitive reviews i will be c0ntinuing this. here is y0ur first chapter. it is n0t all that great but it is supp0sed t0 hint at s0mething. if y0u did n0t read the last few chapters 0f TLG rather carefully y0u pr0bably will n0t get it unf0rtunately.**

* * *

 _Tick._

Seconds.

 _Tock._

Minutes.

 _Tick._

Hours.

 _Tock._

Days.

 _Tick._

Weeks.

 _Tock._

Months.

 _Tick._

Years.

 _Tock._

They all blended together in a chaotic mess of blurred images and events that seemed to be out of sequence.

 _Tick._

Sometimes things were a little more organized and he could easily discern them from one another.

 _Tock._

Other times it was harder. Those times were getting more frequent with each passing day.

 _Tick._

Really, most of the troubles arose when he tried to think about the present rather than the past.

 _Tock._

More specifically, when he tried to separate then from now, what had happened from what had now not happened.

 _Tick._

He died. He had felt it. It had happened.

 _Tock._

Or had it? It had felt really but perhaps it had all been a vivid dream. Or a nightmare. He had been having a lot of those recently but could only recall bits and pieces of them, if that much.

 _Tick._

Lightning. Cold black eyes. An all too familiar voice whispering taunting words he could not remember.

 _Tock._

He groaned. That noise was _not_ helping. What was it?

 _Tick._

A clock? Why would there be a clock here? He was in the middle of a field.

 _Tock._

Artemis opened his eyes and found himself staring up at a dark cloudy grey sky.

 _Tick._

He forced himself into a sitting position, propping himself up with one arm and running a hand through his hair with the other to get the raven strands out of his vision. He had been neglecting it since _that_ day and its length was starting to become irritating.

 _Tock._

The sight before him was somewhat puzzling. He was indeed sitting in the middle of a field, surrounded by grass with the manor a ways off in the distance.

 _Tick._

The light breeze was blowing at the grass and making the branches of the few trees scattered about here and there sway. On that breeze he could vaguely detect the scent that indicated that rain was soon to fall. That was not what was puzzling though.

 _Tock._

Before him stood a large grandfather clock. It was ornate and had fine gold filigree designs on the almost black stained wood. The clear glass panel on the body revealed the huge gold pendulum hanging within. It was a beautiful antique and clearly could be worth a pretty penny. There was something… off about it though, aside from the fact that it was in the middle of a grassy field. It seemed ominous and foreboding. The teen arched an eyebrow, studying it. The hands on the face of clock were moving, though they seemed to be moving faster than they should be.

 _Tick._

The sky darkened, the grey clouds becoming black and the wind began to pick up, whipping the tree branches about in a chaotic frenzy and sending ripples through the grass.

 _Tock._

Artemis stood and moved over to the clock. As he did so the hands had stopped moving, but before he could get a glimpse of what numbers they had stopped on a voice drew his attention to the sky. It was all too familiar, as were the large black eyes that glared at him from the black mass of clouds. It had only spoken two words, "Time's up."

A question was beginning to form in his mind, but what it had been even Artemis was not yet aware of. A bolt of lightning tore down from the clouds, charging the air and causing distortions from the heat. It struck him dead on, but the expected pain never came. Instead…

The teen's eyes flew open and he heaved in a ragged breath, clutching what ever it was he was holding tightly in his hand, which was shaking. Artemis sat up in his chair, trembling and staring with wide terrified eyes at the desk that was in front of him. The fear, shock and pain that could be seen in those mismatched orbs soon gave way to confusion. He looked at the surface in front of him and the various bits and pieces of technology scattered about it. Wires, circuit boards, screws, bits of metal. He turned his attention to his shaking hand and forced it to release its grip, the wrench he had been holding falling to the surface of the desk with a 'clang!'. It took him a moment to remember where he was and what he had been doing.

He was in his lab. He had been working on rebuilding his ice cube after the end of the last one. If it had not been for the space probe and yet another crisis the device would have worked. It had not been the problem. He had. Now that that was resolved it only made sense to get back on track with his work.

Artemis glanced at the digital clock provided by his phone. It was 9 pm. He must have fallen asleep some time while he was working. The young genius had been exceptionally tired as of late and he was fully aware why; his parents had told him of the night terrors he experienced that woke them each night. He actually did feel kind of bad about it.

With a sigh Artemis began to pick of the scraps of technology and put them away, figuring that it was time to attempt to get some real sleep. Then he froze.

Out of the corner of his eye he detected a small, vaguely person shaped mass of shadowy blackness a few feet away. It moved and he turned his head to look at it but discovered that it was already gone. _'Or it was never there to begin with.'_ His thoughts offered. Sighing again Artemis got up from his desk and headed towards his room, hoping some rest would stop him from seeing ghosts.

* * *

 **AN: it is n0t all that much, i kn0w. but it is mildly imp0rtant t0 the pl0t. and n0, the nightmare is n0t the same as his night terr0rs. th0se will get explained a bit m0re later. s0 will the shad0w. basically, expect the first few chapters t0 be s0mething 0f a prelude and f0reshad0wing t0 give s0me ideas but n0t directly explain everything.**


	4. Chapter 2: What About Holly?

**AN: the turn 0ut f0r the last chapter was disapp0inting, t0 say the least. as y0u might have guessed, this is a largely review-driven st0ry. i like feedback t0 tell me if i am d0ing things right 0r wr0ng and t0 kn0w that pe0ple are actually reading this stuff, and given that the last chapter g0t n0thing i can 0nly guess that i am n0t up t0 par and pe0ple lack interest, s0 while i will put 0ut this rather sh0rt chapter, f0cused 0n h0lly, the st0ry will be g0ing 0n hiatus until there is s0me indicati0n that pe0ple actually want t0 read it.**

* * *

Holly Short had long ago received training to deal with tense or upsetting situations. As an officer with the Lower Elements Police she had had many of those types of situations that put her training to use and gave her valuable experience. However, nothing could have prepared her for the vision she had received upon contact with her friend that day at LEP headquarters. It seemed so long ago now that it had all occurred but the images were still fresh in her mind, the day that did not happened, the day that _almost_ happened.

Once again the elf found herself laying in bed awake, staring at the ceiling of her apartment while she tried to get to sleep and failed. She had not really slept much since it had happened. Every night she was kept up by the images of Artemis Fowl's untimely demise and all that had lead up to it, unable to quiet her thoughts until she passed out from exhaustion only a few hours before he had to wake up and start her day. Tonight was no exception.

She watched it all play back again, like a movie that she couldn't stop. She could practically feel everything. Her body would twinge when there was pain, she could feel adrenaline rise during confrontation and worse yet her eyes watered and tears began to cascade from them at the very end of the show, mind overwhelmed by deep sorrow unlike any she had ever experienced. The memories hurt, physically, mentally and emotionally. No matter how much she told herself that it was not real, that none of those things happened and it was not her that had experienced those events, the effects they caused never went away or lessened.

It was only made worse by the fact that seeing Artemis brought it all immediately to the surface again. She wanted to see him, talk things through with him, help him deal with these memories which were no doubt far worse for him than for her seeing as he actually went through the events, but whenever she saw him she could not help but think of that cold lifeless corpse that the her from the other timeline had watched die and cradled in her arms sobbing over. The thought, the imagery, made that sorrow in the pit of her soul take hold of her again and caused the tears to fall.

As a result the elf had been avoiding her friend. She did not call Artemis or answer when he called her. She avoided trips to the surface as much as possible, especially those that took her anywhere near Fowl Manor. Butler had once tried to confront her about her distancing herself and after she stopped answering his calls as well. Foaly had tried many times to talk to her about it and find out what was wrong but Holly utterly refused to discuss it and made a threat if he tried to press her on the matter. She made it extremely clear that she wanted nothing more than to forget about it. Unfortunately that was easier said than done.

Another night, another few hours of agony and misery, and then her mind and body finally gave out and she fell into the dreamless abyss of deep sleep. The next thing she was aware of was a shrill and steady beeping piercing the void her mind had fallen into. Slowly, Holly forced her eyes to open and look to the source of the sound. Her vision was blurry but she could just make out glowing numbers. Her alarm clock. She lazily smacked the off button and lay back for a minute or two, staring at the ceiling again. Despite her body's protests eventually she forced herself up out of bed and took a shower, the water helping to wake her up, though not by much. Another day, another twelve hours of work.


End file.
